WHAT ME WORRY? - Latest WV Fish Eating Warnings, PCBs And Mercury

There are new advisories about eating fish from the Ohio River and West Virginia streams, including the Little Kanawha River.

Most advisories about eating a limited number of fish annually from streams and rivers is related to the amount of mercury from fossil fuel emissions, mostly from coal-fired power plants.

Mercury is suspected of causing a number of health problems in humans.

An additional warning has been issued by the Ohio River Valley Sanitation Commission, recommending eating just six meals per year of the hybrid striped bass with PCBs. Last year the limit was 12 meals.

The hybrid striped bass PCB advisory is in effect for Wheeling area counties, south into the Mid-Ohio Valley, up to the Belleville lock, just north of the Jackson County line.

ORSANCO found higher levels of the chemical PCB in the Ohio River in Wood, Pleasants and Tyler Counties.

PCBs released by chemical companies have been shown to cause cancer in animals and there is also evidence that they can cause cancer in humans.

Experts say the chemical doesn't hurt the bass, but it could hurt people who eat them.

The limitations for eating fish containing mercury from West Virginia rivers, streams and lakes in general is not more than one or two meals a month.

In West Virginia, the response of citizens regarding the warnings, is to express little concern, opting to fight against the "War on Coal" and over-regulation.